Laugh or cry?
Laugh or cry? This is the perpetual question I face when thinking of our current Administration these days. Here’s the current situation which, I think, I am going to chose to laugh at:
Al Hurra television, the U.S. government’s $63 million-a-year effort at public diplomacy broadcasting in the Middle East, is run by executives and officials who cannot speak Arabic, according to a senior official who oversees the program.
That might explain why critics say the service has recently been caught broadcasting terrorist messages, including an hour-long tirade on the importance of anti-Jewish violence, among other questionable pieces.
Facing tough questions before a congressional panel last week, Broadcasting Board of Governors member Joaquin Blaya admitted none of the senior news managers at the network spoke Arabic when the terrorist messages made it onto the air courtesy of U.S. taxpayer funds. Nor did Blaya himself or any of the other officials at the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees the network. (bolding mine)
Of course our government run Arabic TV channel wouldn’t be run by Arabic speakers. That would make too much sense. On a some what serious note, the scarcity of Arabic speakers in our government/military/intelligence community is a real problem, one to cry over.
Holla at me